Is it Ethical to Ignore Those in Danger During a Zombie Apocalypse to Keep Yourself Safe?

Many believe that the majority of people in this world live in a way that supports the egoism theory, acting selfishly in order to benefit yourself. In the zombie apocalypse movie, Land of the Dead (2005), several towns were taken over by zombies, with only few citizens who remained humans. These remaining humans were terrified of being turned into a zombie, and sought refuge from anywhere possible that was safe from zombies. Right outside the towns was a segregated, gated community living the high life, but claimed to have "no more room" for anyone else, including those humans trying to get away from the zombies all around them.

The people living in this community were living a normal life, which was far different than the life those in danger were living. They went on with their lives, people outside the community supplying them with all the necessary and luxury items they needed to survive. They never needed to leave the complex, therefore never having to risk their lives, unlike those outside the complex who had not yet been turned into zombies.

Many would take the actions of those in the gated community as egoistic, therefore implying that they were selfish. These people decided not to risk their safety, instead risking the lives of those who were in danger. No matter how "full" a community can become, there is always the possibility of making room for those people who really need the help. But in contrast, by opening the doors for those in danger, could be putting your safety greatly at risk. You never know who could be able to get into the community in that group of people.

The dilemma these people in the community faced is a dilemma that any one of us could go through, apart from the zombie apocalypse aspect. If a dangerous storm were to hit our community, but you had the safest option that could hold multiple people, would you risk running out of supplies and resources, therefore risking your own life, just to let a few people in as well? You could live happily knowing that you survived, but would you be able to live with the fact that you possibly allowed others to die when you could have helped them? Unlike the movie, Land of the Dead (2005), most would not be able to live with that guilt, and would help those in danger as much as possible until it was not possible anymore.

References

Blackburn, Simon. Being Good, A Short Introduction to Ethics. Oxford University Press, 2001